Quick view of today's popular MEME Luce: Vatican's Jubilee mascot

Original author: Courtney Mares

Original Compilation: DeepTech Flow

Before the arrival of the Jubilee in 2025, the Vatican has unveiled a cartoon mascot on Monday as a joyful symbol of the upcoming holy year in Catholicism.

The mascot, named Luce, which means “light” in Italian, is designed to attract a young audience and guide tourists during the Holy Year.

The Archbishop of the Vatican, Rino Fisichella, responsible for organizing the Jubilee, said that the mascot is part of the Vatican’s desire to interact with “popular culture loved by young people.”

This week, the mascot will make its debut at the renowned Lucca Comics & Games Convention in Italy, where the Vatican Dicastery for Communication will set up a dedicated area for ‘Luce and Friends’.

This will be the Vatican’s first participation in the comic convention. Fisichella, the new director of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, expressed his hope that by participating in this comic convention, he can “discuss the theme of hope with the younger generation, which is more important in the Gospel message than ever before.”

Luce wears a yellow raincoat, boots covered in mud, and a pilgrim’s cross. Her mission is to lead young pilgrims to hope and faith, accompanied by her loyal dog Santino. The shimmering shells in her eyes are reminiscent of the scallop shells of the Camino de Santiago, symbolizing the pilgrimage journey.

At the Vatican press conference on October 28th, Fisichella spoke alongside a plastic model of Luce, describing her shining eyes as “a symbol of hope in the heart.”

He said that Luce will also be the image representative of the Vatican Pavilion at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan. She will present the theme of the pavilion ‘Beauty Brings Hope’ together with Caravaggio’s painting ‘The Entombment of Christ’. This painting will be temporarily lent from the Vatican Museums for the exhibition.

Simone Legno, co-founder of the popular Italian pop culture brand tokidoki, designed Luce and her ‘pilgrimage fren’ - Fe, Xin, and Sky, all wearing colorful jackets.

On October 28, 2024, the Vatican unveiled the official mascot for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee: ‘Luce’, which means ‘light’ in Italian.

Image source: Simone Legno/tokidoki/Vatican Media

Luce’s yellow sailor raincoat symbolizes the Vatican flag and the storms in life’s journey. Her muddy boots represent a long and arduous journey, while her staff symbolizes the path to eternity.

Legno said that he has always loved Japanese pop culture and hopes that “Luce can represent the emotions resonating in the hearts of the younger generation.”

He said, “I am very grateful to the Ministry of Blessings for opening the door to popular culture.”

In the Catholic Church, the Jubilee is a special holy year full of grace and pilgrimage significance. It is usually held every 25 years, but the Pope can also announce special Jubilees more frequently, such as the Year of Mercy in 2016 and the Year of Faith in 2013.

In order to welcome the New Year, the Vatican has planned a series of cultural activities, including a concert of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 on November 3rd, and an exhibition of Marc Chagall’s painting ‘White Crucifixion’ at the Corso Museum in Rome from November 27th to January 27th of the next year, which will be loaned from the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Jubilee Year will officially begin on Christmas Eve 2024 by opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, and it is expected that about 30 million pilgrims will travel to Rome by the end of the Holy Year on January 6, 2026.